In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• Pro-Life Laws Sweeping States
• Obama and Libya
• Remembering When . . .
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
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The Daily Brief - Friday, March 25, 2011
"For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." (Romans 8:22)
The Daily Brief
1. Hawaii estimates tsunami damage at $30 million - Fox News
Hawaii disaster response officials are estimating the state suffered damages exceeding $30 million after a devastating Japanese earthquake sent a tsunami across the Pacific Ocean earlier this month.
- Father, the man of sin, satan, is being revealed in the many disasters in the world. We understand that the Lord is wanting to get the attention of the people to turn to Him in salvation and repentance. This is the answer. This is the solution. No matter what disaster may come, men are to call out to God to save their souls from eternal destruction. Father, call forth souls who will bow their knee to the Lord God Almighty in repentance and deliver them. In Jesus Name.
- "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming. Even him, whose coming is after the working of satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved." (II Thessalonians 2:8-10)
2. US growth revised upward to 3.1% for end 2010 - AFP
The US economy grew faster than first thought at the end of 2010, as consumers spent more and a weaker dollar boosted the country's export sector, the Commerce Department said Friday.
- God, we thank you for blessing our economy in the United States. We pray for continued growth and that our people will give all glory to the Lord and recognize that it is He who supplies all our need. In Jesus Name.
- "Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." (II Thessalonians 3:12)
3. Yemeni President Agrees to Step Down Under Certain Conditions - Fox News
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has agreed to step down as long as power is transferred to "clean hands," Fox News has learned.
- Father, we ask that You take control over the country of Yemen and that Your Holy Spirit will flow across the land and its people and assign a man of godliness and good scruples to take over the presidency in Yemen. May the country as a whole turn their hearts toward God and worship Him with all sincerity. In Jesus Name.
- "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bears rule, the people mourn." (Proverbs 29:2)
4. Japan crisis: nuclear workers exposed to 10,000 times more radiation than normal - UK Telegraph
Concerns over the extent of radioactive contamination in Japan deepened after it emerged that three workers admitted to hospital this week were exposed to radiation levels 10,000 times higher than normal.
- God, You are Father of all who rules the earth in righteousness, is calling for the people of Japan to turn their hearts toward God, repent of their sins, and embrace the message of salvation for their souls. Break the evil powers of darkness off Japan by the overcoming blood of Jesus Christ and bring in heartrending repentance from sin and they shall be saved. In Jesus Name.
- "The fear of man brings a snare: but whoso puts his trust in the Lord, shall be safe. Many seek the ruler's favor; but every man's judgment comes from the Lord." (Proverbs 29:25-26)
5. Syrian protests broken up in Damascus, but allowed in Daraa - USA Today
Syrian security forces broke up a demonstration in the capital, Damascus, today, but did not intervene in the southern city of Daraa, where thousands turned out for a "Dignity Friday" march to protest the killing of dozens of people by police two days ago.
- Oh God, the leaders of Syria are accountable to God for their evil judgment and lack of sound rulership for the safety of its people. On a road in Damascus, the Apostle Paul suddenly encountered the Lord Jesus Christ who showed him heavenly things. Jesus' feet touched the ground in Damascus. This is a powerfully significant message to the leadership and people of Syria.
We cry out to God that the people would again meet the Lord Jesus and fall at His feet in total submission and repentance by the blood that Jesus shed at the Cross of Calvary. In Jesus Name.
- "And as Paul journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you persecute: it is hard for you to kick against the pricks. Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do." (Acts 9:3-6)
6. Moslem Brotherhood gains power in Egypt - UPI
The Moslem Brotherhood, an Islamic group once banned by Egypt, has become a force as the country undergoes a change in government, observers said.
- Lord God, we implore You to cast a great light from heaven around the Moslem Brotherhood and as many as will submit themselves to the drawing of the Holy Spirit and find Christ as Savior of their souls, then deliver them from all their sin. But for those who remain proud and stand on the side of satan, we ask that they be destroyed in their sin and lose power and influence over Egypt. In the mighty Name of Jesus.
- "And Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:14-15)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. (Psalms 129:5)
1. Netanyahu: Israel ready to act with full force to stop missiles - Ha'aretz
Israel is ready to act with full force to stop missile attacks launched from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday.
2. IDF will have to carry out large-scale operation in Gaza - Jerusalem Post
Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar (Likud) on Friday said that he estimates that the IDF will eventually have to carry out a large-scale operation in the Gaza Strip, bigger than Operation Cast Lead. Sa'ar made the comments in an interview with Israel Radio.
3. Islamic Jihad at the service of Iran - Ynet News
The Grad rockets that hit Ashdod and Beersheba this week were launched by terrorists from Islamic Jihad's armed wing, as were the numerous mortars fired towards the western Negev. Four of the five terrorists killed by Israel on Wednesday were longtime Jihad members who had been firing rockets and mortars at Israel since the days of the second Intifada.
The Daily Jot
The great prophetic awakening of the heathen by the prophet Joel
The current state of affairs in the Middle East presents quite a conundrum. There are at least three elements in play. One is the status quo where there is a gradient from repressive to oppressive governments in place. These governments have been stable for a number of years, and they do rule with an iron fist, and they are generally enemies of Israel whether they proclaim it or not. And they are enemies of America whether they say so or not. Saudi Arabia, for example, is considered a great American ally, but in reality its radical Islamic teachings, its infiltration of America with Wahhabism and substantial oil money works against Americans. Most of the 911 terrorists were Saudi.
Yemen is a repressive regime. Largely isolated, the Yemeni government rules harshly and has already killed at least 50 people in an uprising there. Syria, on the other hand, is an oppressive government. In league as a vassal of Iran, Syria's Bashar Assad (despite what Saddleback church pastor Rick Warren says) is a persecutor of Christians, a hater of Jews and proliferator of terrorism. Iran is likely the most radical of the lot, stomping on its citizens human rights and demanding that Israel be driven into the sea, banished from the earth, and the "great satan" America be destroyed. In all of these examples, and many countries in between, people are rising up against their governments.
The US policy since the Bush Administration and as accelerated by the current Administration has been to support opposition groups within those countries in an effort to forward "democracy." Problem is that destabilization by these groups includes Arab socialists, terrorist groups, the Muslim Brotherhood and more. There has been success in stirring the hearts of average citizens to action, but those waiting in the wings are likely far more radical against Israel and America than the current regimes. For example, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Counterterrorism Chief John Brennan argued against attacking Libya because Libyan rebels were unknown entities that could be tied to al Qaeda.
During the Egypt revolt, the White House openly talked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a terrorist sponsoring group that has emerged as the uniting force between Sunnis and Shiites, about its role in a democratic Egyptian government. But at the end of the day, these are all groups with great hatred toward Jews and Christians and are willing to do whatever it takes to advance the cause of rule by Sharia law--even using democracy to do it. The prophet Joel sounds a wake up call to the heathen in preparation for the Day of the Lord, "Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say I am strong (3:10)." Today, across the Middle East, the weak people are awakened. This is a type and shadow of things to come.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Pro-Life Laws Sweeping States
This week South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed into law a bill requiring a 72-hour waiting period and counseling for women seeking abortions. Other states are taking similar actions. The Associated Press reports today that dozens of pro-life bills are "advancing through statehouses nationwide."
Five states are considering legislation modeled after Nebraska's law that bans abortions after 20 weeks. In Ohio, a bill would ban abortions after the "first medically detectable heartbeat."
More than 20 states are considering limitations on insurance coverage of abortions. Much of this legislation is in reaction to ObamaCare, which requires state health insurance exchanges to cover abortions unless states pass legislation to opt out of ObamaCare's abortion mandate. Apparently many Americans don't like their hard-earned tax money being spent to pay for abortions!
A spokeswoman for the radically pro-abortion group NARAL complained, "This is having a transformational effect on the insurance industry and the way abortion is viewed." NARAL was all for ObamaCare's "transformational effect" on the insurance industry when it thought it would lead to more abortions. But many states evidently don't view the destruction of innocent life in the womb as healthcare. And NARAL is having fits.
What has the pro-abortion movement so panicked this year is not the volume of pro-life laws under consideration. Pro-life legislators have been fighting for these ideas for many years. What is different now, as the AP notes, is "the fact that many of the toughest, most substantive measures have a good chance of passage due to gains by conservative Republicans in the last year's legislative and gubernatorial elections." (Gary Bauer)
Obama and Libya
America Not Sold On Obama's "Kinetic Military Action"
The Obama Administration won't say that the mission in Libya is a war. But what, then, is it exactly? Yesterday, during a briefing to reporters on Air Force One, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes described our involvement as a "kinetic military action." Whatever you want to call it, most Americans aren't sold on it.
A Gallup poll released yesterday found that 47% of Americans approve of the "current military action against Libya," while 37% disapprove. But here is the most significant finding: According to Gallup, the 47% approval rating is the lowest measure of support for any U.S. military campaign in recent decades.
For example, when the Honorable President Ronald Reagan bombed Libyan targets in 1986, 71% of Americans approved and 21% disapproved. When George H. W. Bush bombed Iraqi military installations in 1993, 83% of Americans approved, while just 9% disapproved. When the Honorable President George W. Bush invaded Afghanistan in 2001, 90% of American supported the effort, while 5% did not. And when President Bush invaded Iraq in March 2003, 76% of Americans supported the war, while 20% did not.
That only 47% of Americans support the mission suggests at a minimum that Obama has failed to adequately explain the mission. More troubling for the White House is a new Reuters poll that found only 17% of Americans view Obama as a "strong and decisive" commander-in-chief.
By the way, if you don't think there is any confusion at the White House over Libya, consider this: Fox News reports that just 30 days ago, the White House asked Congress for nearly $2 million in additional foreign aid for Libya. Why? To "train military officers, improve its air force, secure its borders and to counter terrorism." (Gary Bauer)
Remembering When . . .
We Had a President Who Honored the Troops . . .
Bush and the Marine Corps Band
President Bush conducts the U.S. Marine Corps Band at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner on April 26, 2008
This is a precious video of Bush directing the Marine Corps Band. The expressions on his face are priceless!
The Good News Corner
GET INTO THE ARK by David Wilkerson | March 25, 2011
John Owen, the great Puritan preacher, spoke the following message to his congregation on April 9, 1680:
"You know that for many years, without failing, I have been warning you continually of an approaching calamitous time, and considering the sins that have been the causes of it. I have told you that judgment will begin in the house of God; that God seems to have hardened our hearts from his fear, and that none knows what the power of his wrath will be. In all these things I have foretold you of perilous, distressing, calamitous times. These all now lie at the door, and are entering in upon us."
God did send his awful judgments on that society. John Owen lived to weep over a flaming holocaust that engulfed London.
Yet, before he ever saw a single one of these calamities take place, Owen faithfully cried out from his pulpit, "I am going to show you how we ought to deport ourselves in and under the distressing calamities that are coming upon us, and may reach, it may be, up to the very neck."
Beloved, we're living in just such a time as Owen's. And in times like these, there is only one response to the coming storm. "The just shall live by faith!"
Owen admonished his people with tears, "Get you an ark-prepare an ark for the safety of you and your families." Then he added, "The ark is Jesus Christ. There is no other way, no other ark-for Isaiah, the prophet, said of our Lord, 'And a man [Christ] shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadows of a great rock in a weary land.' That is our ark! Blessed are they that trust only in him. I know of no safety, no deliverance, in the trials and afflictions coming upon the earth, but in believing Christ as our only refuge."
We may see dangers on all sides, including a devil and his principalities who want to drown our faith in doubts. But we have a fiery guard of angels surrounding us and a God who is under oath to carry us through any disaster we may face.
So let me ask you, do you want to face the coming storm with quiet confidence and peace of mind? Then die today to all your own ways and means of saving yourself and commit the keeping of your life wholly to God's care. He's your good, loving Shepherd-and he is faithful to see you through all!
Fix your eyes on Jesus. He alone is our hope.
Worship with Us Today!
"Beautiful One" by Jeremy Camp
God's provision for our salvation, the Word made Flesh.
Worship with us by going here. Amen!
